AKIHO Breed Examination Criteria 


Essence and its expression 

Calm and dignified, full of majesty, loyal and simple, dignified in sober, sensitive, and prepared for dignity and agility. 

The Akita Inu's honrai no seishitsu (natural characteristics) are chinhaku (calm), gouki (fortitude), igen (dignified), while rich in seikan isei (toughness and boldness). It has a sunao (obedient) and chuujitsu (faithful) character, while being kazarikenonai (unaffected) and having a feeling of hin'i (dignity) and soboku (simplicity, artlessness). With binkan (sensitive senses) such as sight, hearing, and smell, its behaviour is ouyou (collected) yet binshou (alert, nimble).*

Appearance 

Body are well-balanced, the skeleton is strong and tight, muscles, tendons and ligaments are well developed, there is no skin laxity and the male and female are clearly displayed. 66.7 cm (2 shaku 2 sun) for males, 60.6 cm (2 shaku) for females, and up to 3.03 cm (1 sun) for each top and bottom. The ratio of body height to chest depth is approximately 2:1.

In terms of gaikan (appearance), each part of the body is accurately constructed and balanced, the skeleton is sturdy and steady, the tissues such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments are well-developed, and the skin is tight without sagging. Osu (males) have masculine looks, and mesu (females) have a feminine appearance. The ratio of taikou (body height) to taichou (body length) is 100:110, and females are slightly longer than males, with the standard body height being 66.7 cm (2 shaku 2 sun) for males and 60.6 cm (2 shaku) for females.

The allowable range is up to 3.03 cm (1 sun) above and below. The ratio of body height to chest depth is approximately 2:1. *


Head

Skull is large, flat top of skull, broad forehead, no wrinkles, well-developed cheeks obviously round when fully grown.

The skull is large and well-developed, with a somewhat flat top; the forehead is wide and unwrinkled; it has a clear tatemizo (furrow) and a moderate ochikomi (stop); the cheeks are full and well-developed.*

Neck

The neck is thick and strong, and it stands up moderately without skin laxity.

The neck is thick, large and strong, and rises at an appropriate angle, the skin is well-tight.* ​

Ears

Ears should be small, thick, and triangular, lean forward moderately, straighten the ear line, and stand tensely, with an appropriate width between the ears.

Their shape is in harmony with the head, with a thick, slightly rounded tip and a triangular shape, maintaining a moderate forward inclination. Both the inner and outer ear lines stand straight and strong, and the distance between the ears is appropriate spaced. *

Eyes

Their shape is slightly triangular while deeply set, the outer corner is slightly raised, the color of the eyes is dark brown, and the eyes are appropriately spaced.* 

Muzzle

The muzzle: Muzzle and bridge of the nose are straight, full-bodied, thick at the base, thin at the tip, not sharp, and the nose speculum is tight and the lips are well tightened.

The bridge of the nose is straight and full, the base is thick and tapers without a point, the nasal speculum is tight, and the corners of the lips and mouth are well-defined.*

Teeth

The teeth are strong and the bite is scissor bite. 

Chest 

The chest: Is deep, the ribs are well stretched, the chest is developed, and the abdomen is moderately tuck.

The chest is deep, the ribs are well-defined, the forechest is well-developed, and the abdomen is moderately toned (tucked up).*

Back & Hips

The backline (topline) is straight, and the hips are strong. *


Forelimbs

The forelimbs are well developed with a moderate angle of shoulder blades and upper limbs, good elbows, straight forelegs, thick and strong, slightly sloping, large, round toes, thick and tight.

The shoulder and upper arm are well-developed with a moderate angulation. The elbows are strong and accurate, the forelegs are straight, thick and strong. The pasterns are slightly slanted, and the paws are round, large, thick and have a tight grip.*

Hindlegs

Hind: Hind legs The hind limbs are well developed, strong and powerful, have a moderate hock angle, are rich in resilience, and have thick toes that grip tightly.

The hind legs are well-developed, strong and powerful, the hisetsu (hock) has an appropriate angulation, has flexibility and agility. The paws are thick with a tight grip.*

Tail

Tail is thick and strong, and the length is almost up to the hock.

The tail is thick and strongly curled. In length it approximately reaches the hock, and can be wound left-curled, right-curled, taikomaki (drum curled a.k.a. centercurled), or nijuumaki (double curled).*

Coat

Fur is straight, densely hairy underneath, long on the back and buttocks, and longer than the rest of the tail.

The [upper coat] hair is coarse and straight, with dense downy hair on the underside. At kikoubu (withers) and rump the coat is somewhat longer. The tail hair is the longer than other parts [of the body]. *

Colour (Keiro)

White ('Shiro'), red ('Aka'), sesame ('Goma'), brindle ('Tora')

Deduction

  • Acquired injuries and markedly poor nutritional management.
  • Unfavorable coat color for an Akita dog.
  • The iris is remarkably faint, which does not match the body color.
  • Missing teeth, tooth decay and incisal occlusion.
  • Tongue spot.
  • Especially weak in nature (cowardly, frivolous, etc.) and ferocious.
  • Other Akita dogs lacking in characteristics.

Disqualification

  • Something that is innately unnoticeable.
  • Those who do not have a tail roll innately.
  • Congenital remarkably short and long hair.
  • Remarkably protruded mandible, retracted mandible, and improper occlusion.
  • Nose color that does not match body color (white allows red nose)
  • testicles.
  • Others that lack the characteristics of Akita dogs.

Examination

　These are Akiho standards. This standard is like a constitution and serves as the basis for examination. Detailed screening policies will be determined separately by the screening panel.

　A dog that is inherently good may have poor appearance and body shape, and the nature of the dog and the results of the exhibition may not necessarily match. Ideally, the essence and the ranking should match, but in reality, the dog's condition, ring attitude, etc. are comprehensively judged.

　No matter how good a dog is, when it is sick, during a hair change period, or when it is poorly managed, it cannot fully demonstrate its true nature. Can't get top grades.

　It is said that the true beauty of Akita dogs cannot be seen until three years have passed since ancient times. Since that time, he has taken on the appearance of an old samurai with an astringent taste. There are dogs that get worse as they grow older, even if they are young and young, but dogs that get better as they grow up are inherently good dogs.

　However, it is a truly excellent dog that demonstrates consistent goodness from childhood to adulthood. There are five grades of evaluation, namely excellent, excellent, semi-excellent, certified, and disqualified. At the headquarters exhibition, the highest grade Akita dog will be awarded the "Akiu Medal of Honor".

Conclusion
　According to the current statistics, only 4 to 5% of the number of domestic dogs in Japan are said to be pure dogs, and some % of them are Akita Inu. think. We must eliminate mongrel dogs and encourage pure and excellent Akita dogs.

The breed‑essence key points in each section (shown in bold) are English translations from the Bookmark of Akita Inu issued by the Akita Inu Preservation Society. Items marked with an asterisk () are translated from AKIHO Honbuten: Definitive Edition.*